The Hero of Ferelden
by DragonAgeWriter
Summary: This will be the story of a city elf who becomes a Grey Warden and has to defend Ferelden against the Blight. Read up on her adventures, the relationships she develops, and the development of her character along the way.
1. Meet Azalea

Azalea tosses and turns in her bed with soft cries of terror. She is having the nightmare again; the one where she is found out and taken away to live the rest of her life in the circle. It wasn't until about two weeks ago that she realized that she is a mage. It wasn't until she accidentally set that elven woman's skirt on fire. Perhaps Elva deserved it for being such a bitch but Azalea wouldn't have done such a thing on purpose. All it took was a look. Elva insulted Azalea, once again, and when Azalea stared her down in anger her skirt burst into flames. Luckily none of the injuries Elva sustained were too severe. She plopped down in a puddle and walked away with nothing more than a look of pain and confusion, and a nasty burn on her lower thigh. Azalea didn't feel guilty or sympathetic for Elva but she did feel just as confused as she was. Then, when she realized what had happened, she was terrified. She still is terrified. No one knows now but someone could discover her secret at any moment, especially if she doesn't learn to control her magic, and the Templars could be summoned to take her away.

She wonders if she could tell her father, Cyrion, or either of her cousins, Shianni and Soris. Could she trust them to keep the information to themselves? She can't imagine any of them turning her in if she did tell them but she isn't willing to take that chance. No matter how much she wants someone to talk to, she can't risk being locked away.

Azalea awakens to the sound of Shianni's voice with a fearful gasped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just came to wake you up," Shianni says with a giggle. "Stop laughing at me," Azalea snaps as her olive cheeks turn red and she rubs the back of her neck in embarassment. "Alright, alright," Shianni responds as she raises her hands in playful surrender. "I'm not trying to put you in a bad mood on such a special day," she adds with a beaming smile of excitement. Azalea looks at Shianni in confusion. "You do know what today is, don't you?" Shianni asks. Azalea shakes her head. Her expression is unchanging. "You mean no one told you? Unbelievable!" Shianni says with a surprised expression. Than a look of understanding makes it way onto her face. "I guess they didn't want you to have time to run off," she concludes. "I can't believe they all left it up to me without even telling me you didn't know," she complains. Azalea just continues to stare in confusion but now she is starting to worry. Why would she want to run off? What's going on? Shianni takes in a deep breath, bracing herself for Azalea's response. "You're getting married today," she says. The enthusiasm that was displayed in her voice before has faded.

She watches Azalea carefully and awaits her reaction but for a moment Azalea only sits there as if she can't register what her cousin has just told her. When she does react all she can manage to do is say "What?"

Shianni relaxes when she realizes that Azalea is too shocked to react with fury and the excitement can be heard in her voice once more. "Your groom, Neleros, is here early! Soris' bride is here too so we're going to have a double wedding!"

"No!" Azalea protests. "There is no way! I am _not_ getting married!"

"But weddings are so much fun and you'll finally be treated like an adult! Plus I already snuck a peek, Neleros is handsome!" Shianni argues.

"Yeah, I'll give my friends and family a fun time, I'll be treated like an adult, and in exchange all I have to do is spend the rest of my life with a _handsome_ man who I don't even love," Azalea says with sarcastic cheerfulness.

Shianni sighs. "Look, it's not up to me to convince you. Your groom is here, the celebration has started, and everyone is happily awaiting the moment when Neleros kisses the bride. You need to accept that it's happening. I'm going back to the party," Shianni says before exiting the room and going back outside.

Once Shianni is gone Azalea stands up and kicks the side of her bed. "He can kiss the _other_ bride," she grumbles. "I'm sure Soris doesn't want to get married either."


	2. Forming a plan

Cyrion enters the room to see Azalea doing nothing but sitting on her bed, arms crossed, with a look of, what seems to be, anger plastered on her face. His expression turns from one of pure joy to one of confusion and anxiety. Is she refusing to go through with it? "Shianni put your dress in your clothes chest in case you didn't know where to find it," he says in hopes that she is just feeling nervous or unprepared.

"I don't care where it is. I'm not getting married," Azalea replies sternly. She doesn't even bother to look at her father. What if she were to set him on fire next? She may be angry but she would never intentionally injure her father.

Cyrion's eyes fall to the floor as the disappointment sets in. He wanted to come in and find his daughter all dolled up and excited, but he should have known better. Azalea has always been a very independant and stubborn women.

"Azalea, you're going to have to get married eventually. Why not now? Neleros is a nice boy and everyone, save you, _knows_ you are ready," he responds with hope and desperation.

From the moment that Azalea was born Cyrion has been looking forward to this day, and even more so after the death of his wife, Adia. To add a son in-law and, eventually, grandchildren to the family may help to fill the emptiness he has been feeling ever since he lost her and maybe it will bring Azalea happiness, as well. Perhaps not immediately, but maybe one day she will look at the family she has built, and the children she has raised, and she will be proud. Maybe the sense of accomplishment that parenthood brings, and the sense of security her husband gives her, will be enough to bring her joy. Is should be enough.

"I don't _have_ to do anything. Everyone is wrong. I will _never_ be ready for a lifetime of misery," Azalea snaps as she rises to her feet. She refuses to look at her father as she marches passed him, intentionally slamming her shoulder into his because some part of her wants to hurt him for being so selfish. This is more about him than it ever was about her. However, she holds back enough that the impact only hurts his feelings. Why does no one care about what she wants or how she feels? She exits the house and furiously slams the door behind her.

Just outside the door, stands one of the last people Azalea wants to see, Elva.

"What do you want?" Azalea huffs.

"I just have a few things that I want to say to you," Elva sneers. "First of all, you are getting better than you deserve today, second, you look like a darkspawn threw up on you, and third, I hope today _you_ catch on fire," she spits in raging jealousy. She is still completely clueless as to how her skirt caught on fire but, she does remember the little snickers all around and she certainly remembers who she was talking to when it happened.

Azalea does all she can to keep her rage from boiling over as Elva's words reach her ears and, luckily, there is not another magic-related insident. Hopefully it stays that way.

"Better than I deserve?" Azalea says with a sarcastic laugh, but then she decides to play along and make Elva even more angry. "Actually, I think this is just what I deserve. I'm so excited! Nothing could ruin this for me," she lies with a big, fake, toothy smile. "As for looking like vomit and catching on fire, those are more _your_ thing," she adds with a girlish giggle.

Azalea could swear she sees steam coming off of the bitter woman, and this time it is not one of her spells. Before Elva can respond Azalea opens the door to her house and skips back inside humming a lovely tune in a falsely happy manner.

Once inside it takes everything in her to keep from bursting into laughter. She can't believe that Elva fell for that! Azalea never giggle little a little girl nor does she skip away with her head in the clouds. She does enjoy humming though, sometimes.

"Back already?" Cyrion asks. His voice is soft and full of sadness.

Azalea turns to face her father who is now sitting slumped over on an empty wooden box in the corner with his hands folded together as his chin rests upon them and his elbows rest firmly on his knees. His eyes glisten with tears that seem to be nearing the surface and his lower lip is sticking out slightly as it always does when he is deeply upset.

Azalea sighs softly. "Yeah, I just..." she pauses for a moment, unsure of what to say, but then an idea starts to form in her mind. "I know I need to grow up," she tells him. "I'm just scared," Of course, this is not the complete truth. She has been scared that this day would come and that she would not be able to stop it but she is not scared to grow up. She doesn't believe that the elves in this alienage know what it means to grow up. Marrying a random stranger is not growing up. Actually, Azalea finds it quite immature, not to mention extremely stupid, for someone to think that should be the way of things. One could be ready for adulthood and never get married. In fact, a lot of unmarried elves are more grown than those who are.

A small hint of a smile makes it's way onto Cyrion's face. At least Azalea is speaking with him, but does this mean she is going to cooperate or does it simply mean she is trying to reject the idea in a calmer manner?

"It is natural to be afraid at a time like this. Not knowing what to expect when you meet your betrothed, not knowing how life will unfold... It's a scary thing. I was terrified on the day of my wedding but everything worked out for the best. I loved your mother. Adia was perfect for me and, to make things even better, we had you," Cyrion says as he stands and makes his way over to his daughter. He is hoping to convince her that everything will be alright but he is also being completely honest.

Azalea gives her father a warm smile but inside she is feeling conflicted. Here she is, having a heart to heart with her father, and all the while she is conducting a scheme, that involves betraying his trust, to get out of the wedding.

"Thanks dad," she says as she pulls Cyrion into a warm and loving hug.

Cyrion doesn't know what else to say or do besides hug her back.

"I'll go get ready now," Azalea announces as she pulls herself away from her father.

"Alright," Cyrion responds delightedly.


	3. That wasn't suppose to happen

The person in the mirror is unfamiliar to Azalea. Sure, she has the same long, sandy brown hair, the same deep, sapphire blue eyes, and the same creamy complexion, but never before has she looked this superficial. Instead of being clean of makeup, today she is painted up with soft pink blush, rosey pink lipstick, and eyeshadow to match her eyes. Her hair is braided, spun into a circle, and pinned atop her head with jewels. Her gown is white, delicate and it fits her form perfectly. Her shoes are silky white flats.

"I feel like I'm gonna throw up," she whispers to herself before putting on a smile and twirling so her father can see her. "How do I look?" she asks with false cheerfulness. No matter what her father says, her opinion will be unchanging. She looks like a stuck up priss.

"You look beautiful," Cyrion says with satisfaction. He is so proud of the woman his daughter has become and so oblivious to her emotions.

Azalea forces her smile to widen. "Great!" she replies in an enthusiastic tone of voice. Inside she just wants to go back to bed. She wants to wake up to find that this was all just a horrible nightmare. "I'd better get going," she says before leaving her home and making her way down the street.

Everywhere there are elves ready to offer good wishes and gifts. Azalea takes a moment to speak with everyone. She puts on a smile and behaves as if she is perfectly happy with the arrangement. She recieves mostly coin until she reaches Shianni.

"Well, well... Look who decided to join the party," Shianni says with a smile.

Azalea decides to tone down the false happiness and excitement as not to make Shianni suspicious. Shianni knows exactly how Azalea feels about arranged marriages and, after the way Azalea responded to the news this morning, there is no convincing her any different.

"I just decided that if I don't have a choice, I may as well try to enjoy the celebration," Azalea lies.

"That's the spirit, cousin!" Shianni exclaims in approval. "I got you a gift," she adds before handing over a pair of brown, sturdy, leather boots. This is something Azalea can make use of.

"Thank you, Shianni," Azalea says gratefully as she pulls her into a hug. "Well, I better go... so many people to talk to," she says as she starts to back away. The more time she spends with her loved ones, the less angry she becomes, and the less she wants to go through with the plan. She has to though! She can't stick around for an entire lifetime of misery!

All she has to do is play along until she reaches the gates. She knows that someone will have locked them to keep her from running off but, what her fellow elves don't know is that she had an explosive hidden in the clothes chest in her room. She created it a long time ago, just in case she ever needed it. Adia taught her always to be prepared for an attack. She said it was dangerous to be in a human city without protection. Azalea grabbed the bomb while she was getting ready and she hid it in her pack. She carries it everywhere, no matter the occasion, so no one should think anything of it. Once she reaches the gate she will detinate the bomb, blow the gate apart, and make a run for it. She is not yet sure where she will go but she cannot stay here. She cannot go through with this marriage.

Azalea takes a step back when something catches her attention from the corner of her eye. Is that Nessa, packing up to leave? As Azalea steps closer she can see that Nessa's parents are with her and they are all three placing small bits of luggage onto a wagon.

"What's going on?" she asks as she approaches the family. She hopes that it isn't what it looks like. She doesn't want Nessa to leave. Even if Azalea isn't going to be here to see her anymore, Nessa shouldn't have to move away from all the elves who have grown to love her.

"We can't afford housing here anymore. The prices have gone up," Nessa's mother answers. Her tone is gentle, as always, but it possesses a certain sense of sadness.

"So, you're leaving? Where will you go?" Azalea asks unhappily.

"The Ostagar ruins," Nessa says with a tired sigh and a miserable expression.

"The army camp is calling for laborers," Nessa's mother explains.

"But everyone will miss you! Is there anything I can do to help?" Azalea asks hopefully.

"You can't help us, you're just a child. Now go enjoy your special day and put us out of your mind," Nessa's father replies, a bit rudely.

"I'm not just a child. I can help," Azalea responds in annoyance. Why can't anyone see how grown she is?

"What my husband means is we don't need to rely on other's charity to solve our problems," Nessa's mother says in a kinder tone.

"Everyone here is going to miss you," Azalea says to the three elves before walking away.

What she doesn't realize is that Nessa has run after her. "Wait!" Nessa calls. Azalea turns to look at her friend. "Can I speak to you for a moment?" Nessa asks.

"Of course you can," Azalea responds.

"My parents are too proud to accept help, much less ask for it," Nessa begins with an exasperated sigh. "But, I don't like the idea of being surrounded by male soldiers who haven't seen a woman in months," she stutters anxiously.

Azalea looks at Nessa with sorrow and sympathy. "But what can we do?" she asks.

"I don't know. I was hoping you had an idea," Nessa replies.

"Well, I have some coin," Azalea says as she reveals the coin purse full of the currency she recieved as gifts.

"How did you get so much money?" Nessa asks with excitement. Maybe she won't have to leave after all. "Nevermind, I'm sure not talking you out of this! Thank you!" she adds before Azalea can respond.

Azalea drops the coin purse is Nessa's hand with a smile. "You couldn't talk me out of it no matter how hard you tried," she says. "Will it be enough?" she asks hopefully.

"Yes, definietly!" Nessa responds happily. "Thank you! You saved my family! Now I just have to handle the parents," she says gratefully before running off to return to her parents.

Azalea smiles as she continues on her way down the street where she finally finds soris.

"Hey, cousin," he says glumy.

"You don't seem very happy," Azalea responds.

"I just don't feel like I'm ready for this," he tells her.

"Me either. I'll never be ready to marry a complete stranger," Azalea says in agreement.

Soris simply nods. He knows how Azalea feels about arranged marriages. She's always been very open about her opinion on the matter.

Azalea's eyes fall to the ground as a feeling of guilt hits her. She can't just leave Soris to go through this alone. However, she still doesn't plan to stay. Maybe she can convince him to leave with her.

"What if we just leave?" she asks doubtfully. Soris doesn't have the courage to run away, especially without knowing what comes next. Soris has a lot of good qualities but bravery isn't one of them.

"Are you insane? Where would we go?" he responds in disapproval. "Do you want to go into the woods to live with the Dalish?" he asks sarcastically.

"Why not? Maybe they aren't as savage as everyone says," Azalea replies defensively.

Soris shakes his head in disbelief. "You can't really be considering this," he says.

"I am," she replies.

"No, you can't. We can't," Soris refuses.

Azalea knows it would be better to keep her plan to herself but she doesn't think before saying what she says next. "If you don't want to go, fine. I'm getting out of here,"

Soris' eyes widen as he realizes just how serious his cousin is. "Azalea, this is crazy! You can't just leave! Think about all the people who will miss you, and all the people _you_ will miss!" he panics.

"Soris, calm down!" Azalea demands in a whisper.

"I can't! You're going to leave! What about your father, and Shianni, and me?" he exclaims.

"Soris," Azalea responds quietly, in a way that lets him know she wants him to keep quiet as well. Soris closes his mouth and waits to hear what she has to say. "I'm sorry," she says sincerely before turning to walk away.

"You're sorry? That's it?" he asks angrily but than he takes a deep breath and tries to calm himself. "Please cousin," he begs. "Don't go,"

Azalea stops in her tracks and sighs in frustration. Why does he have to do this? He shouldn't make her feel bad for trying to save herself. She decides it will be easier not to respond. The sooner this conversation is over the better.

Azalea quickly begins walking in the direction of the gates. She has to hurry. She can't be sure if Soris will run off and tell someone or not.

It isn't until Azalea reaches the gates that the reality of how much this decision will change her life hits her. Can she really do this? She has to, doesn't she? She can't stay here but, it will hurt so many people if she leaves. It will be difficult for her too. She will be leaving her loved ones without even saying goodbye.

It is the time it takes for her to doubt the plan that makes the difference between if she will escape or not.

"Exactly what do you think you're doing?" she hears her father say in anger and disappointment.

Azalea turns around to see her father, accompanied by the Elder, Soris, and Shianni.

"Sorry, cousin," Soris whispers.

Azalea is upset but she can't bring herself to be mad at Soris. He is only doing what he thinks is best for her.

"I think I'm trying to get the sod out of here but you're all making it very complicated," she growls in irritation.

"Why are you being such a baby?" Shianni scolds.

Once again, Azalea is being treated like a child. She can feel her blood begin to boil and Soris could swear he sees smoke coming out of her ears.

"I hope when it's your time to get married you get stuck with an idiotic pig!" she screams angrily.

Shianni raises her eyebrows in surprise.

"Everyone, calm down. Please, leave me to speak with Azalea," the Elder suggests.

Cyrion and Soris bow their heads respectfully before taking their leave but Shianni doesn't even think about it. She simply walks away with a huff of aggitation.

"Azalea," the Elder says carefully, making sure not to call her "child" because he knows how much she hates it when people call her that.

"Valendrian," Azalea responds, calling the Elder by his name, rather than his title. He doesn't mind when she does this because it makes their encounters feel less formal and more personal. He has always cared about Azalea, the same way her father does. He looks at her and he knows she is something special.

"I know it is, sometimes, hard for you to accept the elven traditions, mainly this one, and I understand. It is not an easy thing, offering up your heart to a complete stranger," Valendrian states in a calm and understanding manner. "But couldn't you, at least, give the boy a chance? Meet him, and see what you think," he suggest.

It is easier for Azalea to speak to someone who is not making demands and ignoring her feelings. "I guess I can do that," she agrees with an unenthusiastic nod.

"Good," Valendrian replies with a warm smile. "Now, out of curiosity, just how were you planning to get through this locked gate?" he asks as he gestures towards the gate Azalea intended to blow up.

Azalea is made anxious by this question. She can't tell him the truth. Chances are, she isn't going to fall for her betrothed in the next hour or so and she will probably make another escape attempt, in which case, she would need the bomb. "I was planning to introduce it to my fist," she jokes.

It isn't difficult for Valendrian to see that she is trying to dodge the question but he would rather not make any accusations and risk losing her cooperation by making her angry. "I see," he responds in a clearly unconvinced tone of voice. For this he recieves a sheepish smile. Then Valendrian spots the pack on her back. _Does it contain the supplies she would need if she were to run away? _he wonders. "That pack looks a little bit out of place with your dress. Do you think you could drop it off back at your house?" he asks with suspicion in his eyes.

Azalea sighs in defeat. "Sure, I'll drop it off," she responds with a forced smile that looks more like she is gritting her teeth than anything else.

Valendrian nods in approval and watches as Azalea walks off. Someone needs to keep an eye on her.


End file.
